You need one player, a midfielder probably who you could just say "Right we build our team around this lad, he's the future of this club". You don't really have any players I'd deem 'indispensable' to Sunderland at the minute, maybe your keeper? Somebody like a Will Hughes to build a long-term project around, is that Bridcutt going to make it?
Bridcutt starts from now for me, I won't judge the lad on last season, but I''d worry if we were building a team around him! Your right, the team needs a kingpin, an icon, it could yet be Catts you know, he has such about him and he's about the longest serving player now too. A good start would be giving him back the armband, the lad is born to lead, even if he's a bit 'over excitable' at times.
I'd agree, on the basis that he is expected to **** up from time to time just like Roy Keane was expected to 'lose it' now and again, it's in the nature of this type of player. If you build a squad around him, rather than just 10 players to play with him, then when he does have a red-mist moment and gets banned for a few games, you've got somebody half decent to fill his boots for a few games.
I seem to remember reading somewhere about Otway saying that Gus liked to get things done early in the transfer window, if this is his idea of early then I don't think much of his time keeping.
things are always slow when its a world cup year. things should start heating up now were into pre season and gus is back from the world cup. the last thing we need is needing players going into the window closing as we will be ripe for getting bent over
Insider Trading: Newcastle and Sunderland go head-to-head over Manchester City star? By talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) | Tuesday, July 15, 2014 talkSPORT's transfer guru, Warren Haughton, joins Hawksbee and Jacobs to round up all the very latest rumours and gossip. There's the latest on Daryl Janmaat's move to Newcastle and Enner Valencia's switch to West Ham. Plus, there's an update on Jay Rodriguez's contract talks at Southampton, and find out which Manchester City star the Magpies and Sunderland are battling over... Read more at http://talksport.com/football/insid...over-manchester-city-star#uopfEBwpC17Kodrf.99 Who the hell are they on about
If you need a full back of the Billy Jones calibre to play on the other side, you can take Santon off our hands...
I'm concerned. We're spread thin. There's time yet though. Two weeks without movement and I'll be worried. Three and I'll be panicking.
Anyone who's ever worked in a target lead environment will be familiar with the phrase 'panic early'. I'm not far from panic, we have lucked out 3 years running we need to sort our **** out.
I'm getting twitchy and concerned, on a scale of 1 to panic, i'm around 4 Blind panic would be off the scale
Anyone running a business in competition with 19 other business's should be trying to be 1 step ahead of the competition, we always seem to be 1 step behind. I am not worried yet but we need to get Wickham signed up on a new contract and Borini and Alonso done. Once thats out of the way we need to look at a genuine quality marquee signing like a class centre back. Then I will be happy.
Were in need of Borini, Alonso, a right back and 2 centre backs. We also need a genuine quality midfielder to play next to Catt or Bridcutt.
I agree, and Verginni would also be a move in the right direction. We have a lot of catching up to do to be competitive, and so far worryingly, its our rivals who are making the running.
Gus is trying to get him signed up. Apparently there was some clause in the loan agreement that gave them an option. Wouldn't mind him as right back but he was carp at centre half.
So, overall, since the first post, not just me then. Thank f** for that. I think my biggest concern, looking at both our club and our rivals, over the last few years, is that, whilst he's been working on our overall financial stability (and I appreciate that massively!), we're still not that high up on ES's priority list. I worry that he's probably got a massive portfolio of financial interests across the globe, and we are just a side show, something for the down-time. That maybe unfair to the fella, but that remains my biggest concern. That's why, for me, it would be good for the club to be a little more upfront, publicly, about their activity in the close season. I don't think that's unreasonable.
I think that is a really fair post, maybe we are his play thing and yes, without doubt or PR dept is ****e. But. I cannot for one minute inagine gus signing a new contract without assurances
Today I'm starting worry. I've a sneaky feeling we're waiting on some players to leave. Scocco, Alfie and Diakite should be gone by the weekend, then we really need to get faces in quick. Hope there's deals in place, I really really do. If we don't have three players of the books and three faces in by the end of next week then alarm bells with be ringing. Think we've got money, just think Ellis won't bring on more wages until others drop off.
